UPDATE: Grambling football boycott ends with new coach

Oct. 17, 2013

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GRAMBLING — A chaotic situation at Grambling took an unexpected turn Thursday when interim coach George Ragsdale was relieved of his duties after the team boycotted practice for a second straight day.

Defensive coordinator Dennis "Dirt" Winston will act as the interim coach with Ragsdale out, although Grambling spokesperson Will Sutton said Ragsdale will remain with the athletic department on reassignment.

Ragsdale was seen leaving the football facility building around 4:20 p.m. as he headed toward the administration building. Ragsdale then came back in his white pickup truck and left again for good at 4:47 p.m.

“Ragsdale has been reassigned and to go in another direction at this time, and he’ll be helping in other ways,” Sutton said.

Sutton said athletic director Aaron James will decide where Ragsdale is reassigned to.

The players never made any public demands of what they wanted during the boycott, but safety Naquan Smith gave a surprising admission Thursday during a public demonstration by the students.

“As a team, we feel like we wanted (Ragsdale) to actually step down,” Smith said. “(The team) is behind us because they know what we’ve been going through. They know the struggle. We said we’re behind each other 100 percent.”

Sutton said the team was supposed to hold a closed practice at 6 p.m., but Winston and team members were seen leaving the intramural facility shortly after the top of the hour.

Earlier Thursday, The News-Star learned players didn't plan on showing up for a 5 p.m. practice for a second straight day.

“As you know, we’ve had a rough last couple of days, but we’re getting through it conversation by conversation, football player by football player, coach by coach,” Sutton said. “The president, athletic director and coaches have had a series of meetings throughout the day, and we have been paying attention to the concerns of our football players.”

The information came after a planned 3 p.m. meeting in which players were to discuss whether they were going to play Saturday's game against Jackson State.

Shortly after the planned time of the meeting, reporters on the scene were told to leave the premises and that GSU coaches and players were off-limits.Then when Ragsdale was fired, Grambling police barricaded off the football complex.

Ragsdale ends his short tenure at Grambling with a 0-5 record. He took over for Doug Williams after the legendary coach and former player was fired Sept. 11.